A NEW HOBBY

This summer we have been trying to do some hiking as a family. Some like it...some hate it...but we do it anyway:) This hike we went on was to Aldous and Hancock lakes. I map quested it and for some reason it calculated the drive as 45 minutes from Idaho Falls. WRONG! It took 2 hours to get there. We felt like we were in the middle of no where...as you can see. We saw very few other cars on this road. Saw more cattle than human life. Brylee made me take a picture of the navigation map because it showed absolutely nothing. It felt like quite the adventure! It was a five mile hike and even through the complaining it was amazing and beautiful. And no bears!! Lexie and Brylee didn't want to do the hike once we saw how remote it was. They were afraid we would run into bears...We had a little geography lesson about the continental divide which was good for all of us!! I swear I never learned about it in school:) Or maybe I wasn't listening...who knows.

The first lake we got to was Aldous Lake. It was beautiful. We brought lunch in backpacks and ate even though Lex and Bry were worried it would attract bears!

Before we got to the second lake we ran into a snow patch. A few snowballs were thrown:)

Hancock Lake was small and very remote. It was so pretty! It looked like it would be dried up by the end of the summer. We were glad we got to see it with water.




























Brylee is soooo strong. It was good to see her smile once on the hike:)

My poor car!! Why we took it I will never know:( The dumb thing is I took it to the car wash that morning before we left!! What a waste of $10. It was a GREAT day!!

BIRTHDAY UPDATES

Landon's 16th Birthday. December 30th

Highlights:

BRACES, chinese food, Avatar, Cold Stone Cake, New Boarding Boots(Molded to his feet)

My Birthday. January 9th

Highlights:

Dinner with good friends Lori and John, German Chocolate Cake made by kids:) Games(Telestrations all time fav!) Spoiled by family!!

Val and Brylee's Birthday. April 6th.

Highlights: Another shared birthday! Brylee is a teenager 13!!(Oh no) Cold Stone Cake=Brylee...Banana Cream Pie=Val Went to Alice In Wonderland 3D ... Brylee got lots and lots of clothes and her ipod which she had been wanting (and has lost it)!!! Very good day:)

Lexie's Birthday...April 19th.

Highlights:

Celebrated April 18th(sad day...Nick left for Alaska on the 19th)

Cold Stone Cake (I know I'm lazy but the fam loves them)

Nick gave Lexie a laptop so they could keep in touch by webcaming. He is still in Alaska. Hopefully comes home the end of this month. Lexie is an amazing girl and very strong to be holding it together like she does!

Brianne's Birthday. May 11th.

Highlights:

Celebrated on the 9th since she was home that weekend. She moved to Orem the first part of May to start Dental Hygiene school. I made her a rainbow cake. Didn't have time to make all the layers so made up my own version. I loved the way it turned out. Especially before it was baked. Loved having Brianne home that weekend and miss her so much!!

Happy late birthday to Nick whose birthday is also in December. Didn't have any pictures and Lexie procrastinated getting them to me. And Happy Birthday to Teegan, April 19th(shares his day with Lexie), Camdyn April 1st, Josh July 3, Brittany July 6th(check out Britt's blog for her bday post)

I LOVE MY FAMILY SO MUCH!!